big dude on the roof in Jerusalem

One of the big, burly, robed Africans glared at us from the roof of the Jerusalem church.

But I am pretty sure it was only because they weren't keen on someone from our group snapping a photo while they were just trying to fulfill their calling.

Understood.

Kind of like cheesy urban tourists snapping pics of those curious Amish.


Ever since our first trip to Israel, I have been fascinated by the roof-dwellers on top of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Even though I almost wondered if the big dude would shoot us (I did almost get killed in Jerusalem once (: , but that is the Violet Burning's fault..another story). I sensed they were incredibly peaceful people.

I finally found out who they are and what they are doing there.

What a story, told in HV Morton's delightful 1962-published account of his 1930s trips to Israel , "In the Steps of the Master."
The back cover honors Morton for being "one of the world's greatest travel writers, with a portait of the Holy Land as a physical embodiment of faith."

Morton:

"Among the many mysteries of Jerusalem is the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Hundreds of books have been written about the inside of the church, but nothing, as far as I know, has been written about the outside. which is almost as interesting. I might never have known this had I not been afflicted by a bad, even dangerous habit of mounting mysterious and sinister flights of steps..."
(read the rest at this link, pp. 58-62).

After you have read that, discovered the secret, and are intrigued, here are some videos taken up there.

Bonus: you may want to start reading the link to Morton's book back at page 53, where he promises, "No building in the world has a stranger history than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre..." He backs that promise up! Rememberm he said the rooftop is "almost as interesting as the story inside."
I have written about the church at this link:

"When the Christians fight, only a Muslim can keep peace"